Sept 6th 2026 Pentecost 15 Season of Creation “Living Water”

PRAISE WITH THE WHOLE OF CREATION
Psalm 149 is a joyful hymn calling God’s people to praise with singing, dancing and music. Worship is expressed through the whole body and the whole community, celebrating God’s
justice and faithfulness. Although creation is not explicitly mentioned, the psalm assumes a world where human joy is deeply connected with God’s good creation. Praise is never separated from the Earth that sustains life. Music requires wood for instruments, food nourishes dancers, and every breath used in singing is made possible by the oxygen produced through forests and oceans.
Human worship depends upon flourishing ecosystems. When creation is degraded through
pollution, deforestation or climate change, both human wellbeing and worship are diminished.
Rivers, rain, harvests, birds and animals feature prominently in traditional praise songs. This reflects an understanding that humanity belongs within the wider community of creation rather than standing apart from it. Psalm 149 encourages churches to recover this holistic vision of worship.
Psalm 149 reminds us that praise is not confined to church buildings. We can hold our services outside in the great “Cathedral of Creation”. Every act that restores creation becomes an act of worship. As communities rejoice before God, they are called to become instruments of God’s renewing work, enabling the Earth itself to join in the song of praise.

Bishop Humberto Maiztegui Gonçalves
Bishop of the Southern Diocese of the Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil.